Combating noise issues in healthcare facilities is an on-going problem and according to the latest survey conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of over 2,786,920 discharged patients from 3,851 hospitals across the United States, the topic of “Quietness of the Hospital Environment” was the worst top-box score among all other topics!
The improvement of Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey scores is a top priority among healthcare administrators to ensure funding. As a result of improving these scores, healthcare organizations will start to receive CMS reimbursement based in part on the patient experience as measured by the HCAHPS survey; noise levels in healthcare environments play a key role in patient experience and so, noise will have a significant financial impact.
Various studies have shown that excess levels of noise can have a negative affect on patient safety and health, which also transcends to medical staff members in terms of staff satisfaction, health, productivity and efficiency. These negative affects are wide ranging from sleep loss and elevated blood pressure among patients to emotional exhaustion and burnout for medical staff personnel. Because sleep loss in patients can be attributed to excessive noise, this can result in a slower healing process and increased lengths of stay. Excessive noise can also impede staff communication and in terms of patient confidentiality, this makes the ‘noise problem’ a privacy issue as well.
Therefore, it is also important to understand the perceptions of noise levels and sources. Sudden increases (peak noises) can have a disruptive effect rather than continuous, elevated background noises. For example, steady humming or regular pulses from medical equipment is to be expected in a hospital, while extended and/or unattended alarms can cause distress in patients, visitors and staff alike.
Healthcare facility design can help in the reduction of noise and promote a quiet environment in many ways. Already, nursing stations have been adjusted in new healthcare facilities to incorporate a decentralized approach that can reduce or even eliminate group conversations. Other areas that should be taken into consideration include:
- Room configuration
- Ceilings
- Doors and Windows
- Lighting
- Ventilation
- Air Conditioning Systems
- Furniture
- Fixtures
- Equipment
- Building Envelopes
Choosing sound-absorbing ceiling tiles and flooring materials can help reduce noise as well as sound-dampening wall-coverings. Privacy glass, for instance, can be used in lieu of blinds or curtains and can help reduce sound transmission from the hallway or outside areas. When choosing privacy glass as a noise reducer, be sure to look for privacy glass options that offer glazing (glass) types that can increase the noise reduction.
Making architectural and design choices to lower the general noise level is extremely important, particularly for HCAHPS Surveys. As healthcare design considers the patient’s well-being a top priority, commonplace idiosyncrasies within the healthcare environment will be corrected from the designer’s perspective.
